MLB

Giants best in the west after downing Dodgers, Ray makes Blue Jays history

By Sports Desk September 05, 2021

The San Francisco Giants got the better of Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-4 victory as they reclaimed top spot in MLB's National League (NL) West.

It was a tough outing for Dodgers ace and Cy Young contender Buehler, who was tagged for a season-high six runs on seven hits over three innings at Oracle Park on Sunday.

Giants star Steven Duggar hit a tie-breaking two-run triple, while Brandon Belt also homered at home to the Dodgers in San Francisco.

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit his 678th career home run but it was not enough for the Dodgers as the Giants wrapped up the series.

 

Ray fuels streaking Jays with historic display

Robbie Ray struck out 10 batters as the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Oakland Athletics in an 8-0 rout. The Blue Jays starter became the first pitcher in team history with 10-plus strikeouts in four consecutive starts. Ray now boasts an American League (AL)-leading 2.60 ERA.

The Cleveland Indians homered for a franchise-record 19th consecutive game after taking down the Boston Red Sox 11-5. Franmil Reyes homered for the Indians.

The New York Mets topped the Washington Nationals 13-6 behind Javier Baez and Kevin Pillar. Baez went four for four with a home run, while Pillar hit a grand slam in a six-run ninth inning.

On Sunday, the Mets scored six runs in the ninth, Indians hit five runs in the ninth, Milwaukee Brewers clubbed five runs in the ninth and the Seattle Mariners tallied seven runs in the 11th. According to Stats Perform, it is the first time four teams had a five-run inning in the ninth or later on the same day since 1940.

Salvador Perez hit another home run in the Kansas City Royals' 6-0 shutout of the Chicago White Sox. Perez (41) is second for home runs this season behind two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani after hitting eight homers from his last 11 outings.

 

Yankees blow lead

The New York Yankees are in a rut following their 8-7 defeat at home to the Baltimore Orioles. Gary Sanchez hit a grand slam and a two-run homer but the Yankees still lost, blowing leads of 4-1, 5-2 and 7-4. The Yankees have now lost sixth of their last eight games, having enjoyed their first 13-game winning streak since 1961.

 

Vogelbach delivers stunning walk-off slam

Daniel Vogelbach was the hero in the Brewers' 6-5 walk-off victory against the St Louis Cardinals. He hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning.

 

Sunday's results 

San Francisco Giants 6-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
Baltimore Orioles 8-7 New York Yankees
New York Mets 13-6 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Indians 11-5 Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers 4-1 Cincinnati Reds
Minnesota Twins 6-5 Tampa Bay Rays
Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Miami Marlins
Kansas City Royals 6-0 Chicago White Sox
Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 St Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs 11-8 Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves 9-2 Colorado Rockies
Texas Rangers 7-3 Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres 4-3 Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners 10-4 Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Blue Jays at Yankees

The high-flying Blue Jays (73-62) will continue their Wild Card push away to slumping AL East rivals the Yankees (78-58) on Monday. Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin starts as the Yankees go with Jameson Taillon.

Related items

  • Kane not ruling out reaching 100 goals for England Kane not ruling out reaching 100 goals for England

    Harry Kane is not ruling out scoring 100 goals for England after becoming his country's all-time leading goalscorer this international window.

    The Tottenham striker's penalty in last week's 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Italy moved him in front of Wayne Rooney outright on 54 goals for the Three Lions.

    He added to that tally with another strike in Sunday's 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley to make it 55 goals in 82 appearances since making his debut in 2015.

    Only Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iran great Ali Daei (109) have reached triple figures for men's international goals, while Argentina's Lionel Messi is one short.

    But Kane, who will only turn 30 in July, is looking to chase down that big milestone ahead of qualifiers with Malta and North Macedonia in June.

    "Getting 100 will be tough for sure, but I never count out anything," he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

    "I am still young – I am 29, I am still fit and strong. I want to play for England for as long as I can. Every game there is I will be putting myself forward to try and play.

    "We will take it step-by-step. The next step will be trying to get into the sixties.

    "A hundred is not out of the question. It will be extremely tough, but we will have to see how the next few years go."

     

    Kane has scored 39 goals with his stronger right foot for England, seven with his left and nine via his head.

    While he has yet to win a trophy with England – or indeed with Tottenham at club level – he won the Golden Boot with his six goals at the 2018 World Cup.

    "I am extremely passionate about my country. I love playing for England," Kane, who also recently became Tottenham's record scorer, said of his Three Lions career to date.

    "To think of all the English legends and strikers that have played the game and to be number one now is just beyond my dreams.

    "Playing for England is special and to have this record is special.

    "I don't think I dreamed this far. I dreamed of playing for England and scoring for England – to be record goalscorer was not even in my dreams.

    "I have had so many great moments and hopefully there are more to come."

  • Jokic praises MVP-rival and 'beast' Embiid after missing out on showdown Jokic praises MVP-rival and 'beast' Embiid after missing out on showdown

    Nikola Jokic believes his main rival for a third-straight NBA MVP award, Joel Embiid, will "be remembered as one of the most dominant players in the league."

    The clash between the Denver Nuggets and the Philadelphia 76ers had been billed as the league's two leading players facing off, only for the Sixers to rest Embiid due to a calf injury.

    Jokic led Denver to a 116-111 victory on Monday, scoring 25 points with 17 rebounds and 12 assists, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to produce 10 games of at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the same season.

    With James Harden also out, Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 29 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, but the main talking point after the game remained Embiid, with Jokic reserving words of praise for his rival.

    "I think he's a great player," he said. "I think he's gonna be remembered as one of the most dominant players in the league. The guy's a beast, and he's so talented.

    "He can affect [the game] many ways on the floor. He can post up, he can face up, he can shoot threes. He can defend really well. He can, in some situations, guard one through five. So he's a really, really good player."

    Embiid leads the league for points-per-game this season (33.3), ahead of Luka Doncic (32.9), Damian Lillard (32.2), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.3) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.1).

    Sixers coach Doc Rivers said prior to the game he was tired of the animosity brought about by the debate around this year's MVP award, with Jokic having won it the last two seasons and having had another stellar year for the Nuggets.

    "It's like we can't celebrate people," Rivers said. "The league is in a great place. It's in an amazing place.

    "You've got Joel Embiid and Joker, two centers, in a non-center league, dominating the league. You've got Giannis, and I always put him as a whatever, because we don't know what [position] Giannis is, but he's one of the best players in the league. Jayson Tatum is playing unbelievable. Kevin Durant, if he wasn't hurt. You can just keep going.

    "You can like them all, and you can actually not like one because you love the other one. But you don't have to hate on anybody. I think we just need to get back to judging whatever your flavour is, and I don't think you have to hate the other one, for sure."

  • Netherlands 3-0 Gibraltar: Ake nets twice as Koeman gets first win of second spell Netherlands 3-0 Gibraltar: Ake nets twice as Koeman gets first win of second spell

    Ronald Koeman claimed the first win of his second spell in charge of the Netherlands as the Oranje dispatched 10-man Gibraltar 3-0.

    Nathan Ake scored twice in a game that saw the Netherlands have 50 attempts without allowing one at the other end, as Koeman's team got up and running in Euro 2024 qualifying following last week's heavy defeat to France.

    Ake's second-half double came after Memphis Depay had put the Dutch ahead against the Group B minnows in Rotterdam on Monday.

    It marked a 19th straight defeat in Euro qualifying for Gibraltar, who had Liam Walker sent off for a rash challenge on Dutch debutant Mats Wieffer.

    In need of a response following their hammering in Paris, the Netherlands had control from the off, and the lead came in the 23rd minute.

    Following a patient move, Denzel Dumfries – back from suspension – supplied an inviting cross that Depay glanced in.

    Georginio Wijnaldum volleyed just over while Wout Weghorst twice went close – spurning a great chance when he shot wide from eight yards out before Dayle Coleing produced a smart reflex save to deny the Manchester United striker.

    The Dutch doubled their lead five minutes after the break, Dumfries helping a deep cross back into the centre for Ake to head home.

    Gibraltar were reduced to 10 men less than 60 seconds later. Walker caught Wieffer with a dangerous challenge, leaving referee Morten Krogh with little choice but to brandish a straight red.

    Coleing denied Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo while Roy Chipolina blocked Weghorst on the line, but Ake's deflected strike eight minutes from time added gloss to an easy victory.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.